JNS.org – Israeli security forces thwarted the smuggling of a Gaza-bound shipment of supplies used in projectile manufacturing, the Israeli Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The shipment, intended for the Hamas terror group, was supposed to be smuggled into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. It was intercepted at the Tarkumia checkpoint by Shin Bet security agency officers and their counterparts at the Defense Ministry’s Crossings Directorate.

The contraband included hundreds of four-inch steel pipes used for the production of mortar shells, as well as electric engines and engine parts used by Hamas in the effort to rebuild its network of cross-border terror tunnels. The shipment also included dozens of rockets.

According to the Defense Ministry, the contraband was hidden inside a shipment containing textiles and jewelry. The shipment was confiscated in full, and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.